Diseases of the central nervous system remain among the most compelling maladies known to humankind. This is because neurological disorders are typically devastating to affected patients and their families, often robbing individuals of the qualities that we most strongly associate with being human, and because the vast majority of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders lack effective therapies. In the 1980s and 1990s, the advent of molecular genetics approaches to map and identify disease genes laid the foundation for a prodigious advance in our understanding of the pathogenic basis of numerous important neurological disorders.
Migraine headache is a common, disabling condition. Migraine episodes are frequent, treatment can be challenging. Prophylactic therapy for migraine remains one of the more difficult aspects. Medications used to treat this condition can be divided into two broad categories: symptomatic or acute-care medications to treat individual migraine episodes, and prophylactic or preventive medications, which are used to reduce headache frequency. Symptomatic migraine therapy alone, although helpful for many patients, is not adequate treatment for all. Patients who have frequent episodes of migraine may sustain substantial disability despite appropriate symptomatic therapy. When symptomatic medications are used too frequently, they can result in increased frequency of headache and medication overuse headache.
When prophylaxis should be started is a matter of clinical judgment. Evidence on which to base this decision is lacking, and many medications are available from which to choose. Prophylactic medications are no substitute for attention to patient lifestyle and avoidance of migraine triggers. All patients for whom migraine prophylactic agents are considered should be educated in migraine triggers and lifestyle related factors. Common headache triggers include caffeine withdrawal, alcohol, sunlight, menstruation and changes in barometric pressure. Lifestyle factors, including stress, meal skipping, obesity, and erratic sleep and work schedules, can precipitate migraine.
Free radicals are highly reactive moieties playing an important role in health and disease. The central nervous system is especially vulnerable to free radical damage because of brain's high oxygen consumption, abundant lipid content and relative paucity of antioxidant enzymes compared with other tissues. Oxidative stress mediated cell damage in the pathophysiology of several CNS disorders has also been suggested. In view of the above, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of stress on neurobehavioral changes and the possible involvement of free radicals. Restraint stress (RS) was used as an experimental stressor and elevated plus maze was used as a test for anxiety.
Managing acute pathology of often relies on the addressing underlying pathology and symptoms of the disease. There is currently a need in the art for new compositions to treatment or delay of the onset of migraine and neurologic diseases and its associated complications progression.